Reflections on UCLA Anderson

Happy New Year everyone!

Before I get started on this post, and well, restarted on this blog in general, I wanted to mention something. For the past several months, I have thought about how to approach what I am putting out in this space. Do I write about b-school, career, life, etc. as an “expert,” or do I just tell my story? In fact, I have written several “posts” and played around with a variety of ideas. I have quickly realized I am not an expert, far from it, and to position myself as such would be inauthentic and fraudulent. But what I can and will do is, offer my perspective as one person who has gone down this path, with the hope of adding value to someone’s life.

So, this is my story. Raw. Unedited. Messy. And far from finished.

I was recently asked by an admissions consultant on a b-school forum if I would write about my experience at UCLA Anderson. As I begin jotting down some thoughts to post in response to her request, I realized that it might be valuable to expand on my reflections here.

In the coming weeks, I plan on writing about the following topics about my experience at Anderson:

• Admissions 
• Resume 
• Essay 
• Interview 
• Career services 
• Recruiting 
• Summer internship 
• Academic internships 
• Full-time recruiting 
• Academics 
• The Applied Management Research Program 
• Student life/culture 
• Clubs/extracurricular 
• Alumni 

To get this all kicked off, I want to post my response to that admissions consultant:

“It’s difficult for me to successfully depict my experience at UCLA Anderson in such a limited space. This usually works much better for me in one-on-one conversations, but I will do my best.

“For me Anderson was a place where I met amazing people, pushed myself intellectually, and ultimately transformed myself professionally and personally.

Academics 
“The academic experience overall was great! I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t love all my classes or professors, but on the whole I found myself learning and challenging my own understanding of business on a daily basis. One of the things I loved most about the academic side of Anderson was the diversity of learning experiences and methods I was exposed to. It wasn’t all cases or just lectures. It was a nice balance of those two, plus a healthy amount of experiential learning. Not only were the majority of the professors solid, we also got some amazing guest speakers—Alex Rodriguez, the President of Adidas North America, one of the founding members of CAA, David Aaker, Al Michaels, and Jessica Alba just to name a few.

People 
“One of the main reasons why I decided to attend Anderson was the people. During the application process, Anderson was the only school where 100 percent of the people I reached out to actually got back to me. Those I spoke with were sharp and really knew their stuff. However, the thing that won me over was how noticeably happy they all were. Needless to say, I came into the program with high expectations for my peers. I was not disappointed in the slightest. Not only was I surrounded by incredibly accomplished and intelligent individuals, they were also down-to-earth and approachable. During my two-years at Anderson, I made some of the best friends I will probably ever have. Simply put, the student culture at the school was amazing!

Career
“Although there are many other positive aspects of my Anderson experience, the last one I will mention here is career. The Career Services Center at Anderson is second to none. I would put them up against any other school’s career center. The people I worked with not only wanted to help me get a job, they were invested in helping me better understand myself, my motivations, and my skills so that I could land the right job. I spent many hours with my advisors researching jobs, identifying target companies, prepping for interviews, etc. Without all of that, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Another big asset of Anderson on the career front is the location of the school. The business community in LA is thriving and the opportunities to work within that community to gain real experiences during school are endless. Not only did I do a full-time summer internship, I also did three part-time internships during the school year that enabled me to make the dramatic career shift that I did—operations at Goldman Sachs to marketing at Microsoft.

“In the end, the 21-month experience cost me over $100,000, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The experiences I had, the friends I made, and the opportunities that have been opened up for me wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t gone to Anderson.”

Re-introduction

It’s quickly approaching two years since I last wrote anything on this blog. A lot has happened since then. When I last posted, I had just gotten back from spending time with family during the holidays and was entering my second quarter of my first year at UCLA Anderson. Classes, b-school social life, and internship recruiting were in full swing...

Two years later, I am now living in the Seattle area, working as a Digital Marketing Manager for Microsoft. Since my last post, I have frequently thought about writing about my journey, but in hindsight, I am glad I have waited until now to start back up again. The time has given my perspective on the MBA experience that I think will allow me to contribute in a more meaningful way to those who are thinking of getting an MBA, are in b-school now, or who are just at a place where they are evaluating their career goals.

I am not claiming to have all the answers to finding a meaningful and fulfilling career, or any answers along those lines for that matter. But I do have a perspective that I wish to share一and maybe that perspective will influence one or two people out there for the better. And if that’s all it does, that’s cool with me.

With all that being said, I just realized since I started this blog, I never really introduced myself. So, here we go.

My name is James Huntington. I am a husband, father, and a despiser of small talk. I love writing, design, visual communication, and storytelling. I was born in Okinawa, Japan. Contrary to most assumptions, my father is not in the military. My mom is Japanese and my dad is from California.

I moved back and forth between Okinawa and California quite a bit. In total, I spent about eight years in Japan and the rest of my childhood in California. I am sure I will talk plenty about my career in future posts, so I am not going to today. I just want to talk about the important things. I am married to the coolest girl I know, and we have three crazy little boys with the wildest of imaginations. My family is my inspiration. I am trying my best to live a ridiculously intentional life, and be the kind of grown-up my kids will be excited to be like (because let’s face it, most grown-ups are lame, but they don’t have to be).

I don’t know where this blog is going to go. I have a lot of ideas, but don’t necessarily have a concrete plan. I am just hoping that some of the ideas and thoughts I share will turn into meaningful conversations. Well, let’s get this started… or, ah, restarted!

Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students (Part 9)

This post is a continuation of "Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students."  Thank you again to all the individuals who have submitted their thoughts.

I chose Anderson for a number of reasons.  Great brand, collaborative culture, unique programs.  One of the main reasons, however, was simply due to geographic location.  MBA graduates, by a large margin, end up taking a job in the region where they completed their MBA.  For the highly represented industries (consulting, finance, etc.) with many offices nationwide, you'll most likely be speaking with recruiters from the offices in your region.  Knowing how beautiful California is, and knowing the types of opportunities that are growing here, it seemed like a fantastic place to begin the next phase of my career.

By far, what I've enjoyed the most is getting to know the other students at Anderson.  Unlike some schools that are known primarily for a particular industry, the career backgrounds and career choices for Anderson students are incredibly diverse.  Typically, you'll see about 20% of students each go to consulting, finance, marketing, tech, or entrepreneurship/start-up.  Because of that diversity, you have a tremendous number of opportunities to collaborate with other students and do not feel the competitive pressure that you might at another program where career interests are more narrowly focused.  It's nice, and has definitely been something that I've taken advantage of since I arrived.

- Ryan L., UCLA Anderson Class of 2015

Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students (Part 8)

This post is a continuation of "Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students."  Thank you again to all the individuals who have submitted their thoughts.

My reasons for choosing Anderson:
1. Its faculty and reputation, and the flexible curriculum. As in all top MBA programs, the faculty is excellent but what I really like about Anderson is the flexibility of its curriculum, I have a degree in business and I dont want to retake the same courses I took at college, the flexibility is an opportunity to go deeper in the areas I am more interested in. I also like the AMR project, it is great to have a class that consists in pure real business experience!

2. Location. Los Angeles offers excellent opportunities and, as I would like to be in SoCa after my MBA, it is the place I want to be, plus, as a native Spanish speaker, it is especially interesting to me in terms of competitive advantage in the job market there. And of course the sunshine doesn't hurt either :)


3. Fit. I have spoken with many students and alumni from different top MBA programs and Anderson people are the ones with whom I had a stronger connection. I also loved my campus visit, I felt really welcome. I also love the collavorative envirornment there.

- Incoming student, UCLA Anderson Class of 2016

Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students (Part 7)

This post is a continuation of "Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students."  Thank you again to all the individuals who have submitted their thoughts.

UCLA is a top school that can help me reach my career goals -- but that can be said for many schools.  What made UCLA stand out to me was the people.  Meeting my future classmates and current students at the admit weekend sealed the deal.  Everyone was really smart, motivated, and driven; equally important, they were also supportive, down to earth, and just plain nice.   UCLA Anderson definitely has a close-knit community, with a good balance of work and play.  I also liked the diversity of the group, particularly in backgrounds and career goals - every industry and function imaginable is represented.  I'm quite certain I'm going to learn more from my classmates than I will from my books - and have a good time along the way.

- Incoming student, UCLA Anderson Class of 2016

Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students (Part 6)

This post is a continuation of "Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students."  Thank you again to all the individuals who have submitted their thoughts.

Why MBA: Like GMATClub legend Raabend (http://gmatclub.com/forum/the-evolution-of-your-b-school-pursuit-56765-80.html#p588875), I come from a family with a long line of Ph.Ds where it is only way you can be acknowledged at family reunions. I somehow strayed from that path, joining the military midway through college. However, I did come back and completed my degree before went out and served again for a few years. And to my surprise, I was actually on track getting my PhD, as after the military I was working in infectious disease research while completing my masters. Unfortunately, when I announced my plan to apply for PhD programs in epidemiology to my wife, she threaten to make me sleeping on sofa for the rest of my life. Liking my bed but trying not to be disowned by my family, I decided to be a good husband and applied to MBA programs (my logic was 3 masters = a Ph.D). In all seriousness, without a Ph.D. I cannot advance at my workplace; therefore I plan to move out of health research arena and into private sector (business intelligence or investment banking). MBA seems like a great help to make the transition. I also have another option of going super spy secret squirrel stuff but my wife nipped the idea also...ughhh...

Where: Since my profile is really quirky (1st gen Asian-American, military, non-traditional background, advance degrees, not-so-glory undergrad GPA and a-not-so-flatter GRE-GMAT equivalent, etc) I applied to a wide range of schools both East Coast and West Coast, 8 total (2 M7, 1 top 10, 3 Top 16, and 2 Top 30) to hedge my bet. My choices were based on fit and career prospect (my wife wants us to move back to our hometown in the Rocky Mountain, sooo excited!). I was quickly accepted to the both top 30 schools with a hefty scholarship at one and a full-ride with full-housing award to another. I interviewed at both M7 schools (big fat dings) and 2 of the top 16 (admit from Anderson and waitlist at an East Coast school).


Why Anderson: I quickly declined a top 30 school's offer with the hefty scholarship because the school is on the West Coast and very similar to Anderson. I know if I decide to attend a West Coast school, it would be Anderson (or the other two hippie schools up North but I guess I wasn't hippie enough for them). The other top 30 school is in Texas so my next step in the decision is to attend admit weekend at both schools to determine the fit. And I absolutely love everything I saw and experienced at both schools. I could see myself at both schools. However, I keep having the question of "if I can come back to my hometown" in the back of my mind at the Texas school. I didn't have that doubt while I was at Anderson admit weekend. Knowing that my goal is to come back to the Rocky Mountain, I did my diligent and  research my option, which yield very limited prospective companies (banking and tech) that can afford my post-MBA salary demand. I would love to work for minimum wage but gotta pay them student loan extraordinaire ya know. Anderson has a really strong relationship and a great alumni base with all companies I am targeting, especially tech. Amazingly there is a 2015 student who will be interning at my top choice tech company in my hometown for the coming summer, doing exactly what I want to do. Everyone (current students and alumni) I reached out to response quickly and very helpful. Thus it comes down to my gut feeling that Anderson will be better at positioning me coming back to my hometown and more importantly maintaining peace for my marriage. Also, unlike other schools I interviewed and visited (East Coast ahem), Anderson students know how to enjoy life outside of classroom. Cherry on top, living in the sunny southern Cali and wearing flip flop and short for 2 years definitely don't hurt either. Thus for those reasons, I chose Anderson.

- Phat, UCLA Anderson Class of 2016

Reflecting on the Application Process

Since completing my last interview a little over three months ago, I have had some time to reflect even more on the MBA application process.  Not even considering that I am a reapplicant, this process has been much longer and more intense than I ever imagined.  When I decided to apply to b-school, I thought it was just GMAT, apply, get in, and go.  I didn’t even think about the possibility of taking the GMAT multiple times, the amount of introspection required to write effective essays, school visits, interviews, deciding on what programs to apply to, deciding where to go to school, what I would do if I didn’t get into a school of my choice, etc.

I have decided to do a few of my upcoming posts about my experience with the application process.  Is there anything that you didn’t consider when you first applied?  If you are applying now, what steps of the process do you want to know more about?  For those that have been through the process, what are some tips you would give to those getting ready to apply in the next few months?

Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students (Part 5)

This post is a continuation of "Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students."  Thank you again to all the individuals who have submitted their thoughts.

The main reason I chose Anderson is the school's diversity when it comes to the industries students both come from and go to after graduating. The diversity of hiring companies at Anderson is unmatched; from entertainment and sports, to more traditional MBA jobs in finance and consulting.  I also wanted to be surrounded by students with varied backgrounds and goals post-MBA.  From my point of view, Anderson has more resources to support students with non-traditional post-MBA goals.  Last but not least, the location can't be beat.  The companies in the area, the weather and the beach are all huge pluses.

- Chris H., UCLA Anderson Class of 2016

McKinsey & Company Emerging Scholars Interview Invite

McKinsey is definitely on my short list of companies I would like to work for post-MBA.  From many of the people that I have talked to that work there or have worked there in the past, the firm offers some of the best opportunities to work with brilliant individuals and solve complex business issues.

Awhile back I decided to apply for the McKinsey & Company Emerging Scholars program.  Last week I received an email from the McKinsey recruiting coordinator for UCLA Anderson with an invite to interview.  I am thrilled for the opportunity!  I better start preparing.  If anyone has any tips for the interviews, feel free to shoot them my way.  I will take any help I can get.

Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students (Part 4)

This post is a continuation of "Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students."  Thank you again to all the individuals who have submitted their thoughts.

As I researched all of the various MBA programs and their particularities, I had two criteria that I would not comprise on.

One, I was looking for a friendly and collaborative student body. This may seem obvious to everyone but through my experiences of visiting different schools this type of environment is far from the norm. A-Days confirmed my initial interactions with UCLA staff and students. I was struck by how open and genuinely interested everyone was in getting to know me.

Two, I wanted to be part of a community that has been and would continue to be at the forefront of innovation and technology. Since my career ambition is to start my own tech company, I put a premium on schools that were highly invested in entrepreneurship and technology. Needless to say UCLA Anderson’s Entrepreneurship and High-Tech Business Associations weighed heavily in my decision.

Lastly, it also doesn’t hurt that UCLA is in my home state. Anderson and the UCLA community's vast network in California’s tech-industry further convinced me that I would be wearing blue and gold in 2014.

- Victor, UCLA Anderson Class of 2016

Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students (Part 3)

This post is a continuation of "Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students."  Thank you again to all the individuals who have submitted their thoughts.

We’re pulling up to the second apartment on our L.A. Housing Tour as part of A-Days, the UCLA Anderson admit weekend for newly admitted students. It’s a (shockingly!) sunny and 72 degree day, and as we file out of the van and up the walkway to the next apartment the eight of us wrap up Getting to Know You 101. It’s what will become a very familiar song and dance of three basic questions: “Hi! Where are you from? What do you do? What do you want to do? Wow, that’s cool.”

At A-Days, there is a traditional fourth question that will become the great equalizer of the weekend, separating those that are to be heavily recruited over the next two days from those that are “the decided” (and therefore just get to eat, drink, and network to our heart’s content). “Have you committed to Anderson or… are you deciding among other schools?” It’s a little like Hunger Games – as a group of highly qualified, smart, innovative future MBAs will be divided among their districts that will in time shape their culture, identity, and future. Intense.

Me? I’ve already decided. In fact, as soon as I was admitted I couldn’t submit my deposit any quicker. When my van-mates learn of some opportunities I turned down for Anderson, they are a bit shocked. Based on rankings alone, Anderson should have been my third choice.

From my perspective, my decision to attend Anderson boiled down to a simple equation that permeated my thinking throughout the 20-month MBA application process. Business school is just that…50% business, and 50% school. All of the companies on my short-list are L.A.-based. Schools in the Midwest (where I call home) and the East Coast, regardless of the nominal rankings advantage, would only provide a small percentage of added value to my $200K investment. Anderson has the largest ROI (yay! B-school speak) in regards to the 50% business component.

I urge applicants to consider, before you decide which MBA, to honestly answer the question why MBA. (Hint: it may be different than your admissions essay! Write the honest response to that prompt and the strategic response, and make your own decision whether you want to submit one or the other. Then, sign this liability waiver ________________, as I claim no responsibility as to your admission success based on which response you decide to submit). Lastly, visit the school to make sure the program checks off as many points on your why MBA list as possible.

The Top-20 schools are all great programs and will make you more edumacated. But answer if the school will get you to where you want to be and if you will be happy spending 200,000 dollars (I wrote out the word “dollars” for extra emphasis). Anderson blew all of these points out of the water, so it was a sure thing.
         
I’ve written out my why MBA list below, and how Anderson met these points.

• Broaden my skill set with specific emphasis on marketing (any top program. Top professors and their research should be posted on the school's website. Anderson won on many levels in regards to professors and courses I wanted to take)
• Diversify my school portfolio/perspective (thus taking me out of the Midwest)
• Entertainment industry (Specifically L.A. over NY for my company short-list. I had multiple "wow" moments when I researched Anderson's class offerings in regards to entertainment)
• Learn from my peers and ideally know everyone in my class (thus, seeking a collaborative environment and smaller student body)
• Honestly, learn not to be so darn rigid. I was burning at both ends in my current industry and needed a chill pill. I felt Anderson could teach me a thing or two about the value of fun in leadership which, in my humble opinion and research, should not be taken lightly.
• Feel connected. My undergrad was very non-traditional (I also encourage future applicants to distinguish between non-traditional and unique. Focus not on how you’re non-traditional, but rather on how you’re unique. Everyone is special!) I wanted a student culture in which I felt as though I “fit”. When I interviewed on campus I felt like the students gave me a big ol’ proverbial hug. I was sold.

-Mike Leve, UCLA Anderson Class of 2016

Clear Admit Best of Blogging 2013-2014 Winner

Yesterday I received an unexpected email while at work, I won the 2013-2014 Clear Admit Best of Bogging Award!  I just wanted to thank everyone that voted for my blog, it really means a lot.  I truly appreciate all the support and I hope that the readers of this blog get something out of it.  Thanks again everyone!

Congratulations to the other winners as well, MBAMyWay and Two Year at HBS.  I have been an avid reader of their blogs and am grateful for the thoughts and experiences they have shared.  I will definitely continue following their MBA journeys.

I also wanted to thank the wonderful people over at Clear Admit.  Although I was never a consulting client, I have used their interview prep materials and their school guides throughout the application process.  These materials were definitely a key part of the application process and I would highly recommend them.

Thanks again everyone!  No I have to figure out what to do with that Amazon gift card :)  If you have any suggestions let me know.

Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students (Part 2)

This post is a continuation of "Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students."  Thank you again to all the individuals who have submitted their thoughts.

I will be honest, Anderson was not my first choice school when I started my MBA applications. However as I learnt about other schools and went through the Anderson application process, I fell in love with the people, school and off-course the location.

I was very fortunate to choose between top business schools both in US and my home country, India. I will share a little bit about myself, and how UCLA Anderson is a perfect fit for me.

I am Indian by origin but grew up in Middle East. I have so far lived in 10 cities across 7 countries and my current home is Bahrain. Professionally, I have completed my undergraduate studies in Biotechnology from the University of Westminster, London and went on to work for an United Nations offshoot (MSME) to assist Life science entrepreneurs in India to secure mentorship and funding. Inspired by these entrepreneurs, I co-founded a personalized gifts company, which was operational for over 12 months. I am currently working in Business Development role for a Gulf multinational trading company dealing in oil and gas equipments and services.

Although I enjoy the functional aspect (sales and marketing) in my current role, I wish to combine my people and sales skills with my industry of interest, which is healthcare. Post MBA, I wish to join the Commercial Leadership Development Program (LDP) at a global healthcare company such as J&J or Novartis to gain domain expertise and the relevant managerial skills. Long term, I see myself taking up entrepreneurial route in the area of healthcare delivery.


Why UCLA Anderson?
UCLA is an awesome school with a global brand and which will give me a solid general management education, not to mention it's in southern California so the lifestyle and weather is outstanding. It attracts a broad array of industries in their recruiting including top consulting and Fortune 500 firms.

Student body
I remember the email I received from a second year student. She wrote passionately about UCLA’s collaborative environment, which will allow me to intimately know my classmates and develop a sense of community. She also got me excited about events that the school hosts such as the Dean’s speaker series and EA conference, which will give me a unique opportunity to interact with industry leaders and build a network. I was instantly sold on the school after my interview with a second year student. Not only I was able to instantly connect with her but also really learn about her experience at Anderson. She was joining a medical device company and gave me good insights into recruiting at Anderson.

School’s focus on entrepreneurship
Speaking to current students and following the Entrepreneur Association, I really got excited about skills that I will be able to pick up which will train me for my long-term entrepreneurship ambitions. The school has one of the largest student body interested in entrepreneurship and I am confident that I will be able to develop an influential network for my future company as well as contribute to the dynamic entrepreneurial environment given my startup background.

Location
No praise is enough for Los Angeles. I know I will have a tough time keeping my mind focus on schoolwork. However the Greater Los Angeles Area, with over 900 life sciences companies, is an ideal location for me to complete my MBA considering my goal of working with a biopharmaceutical company. It also gives me access to two of the world’s largest pharma/biotech clusters, San Francisco in the north and San Diego in the south.

I am really excited and can’t wait to start my MBA at UCLA Anderson

- Piyush Jain, UCLA Anderson Class of 2016

Piyush regularly blogs about daily life and his MBA journey at piyushj.com.

Why Anderson? – Thoughts from Fellow Admits and Current Students (Part 1)

Over the past month the reasons for me choosing to attend Anderson have continued to grow.  I have gotten to know some current students and fellow members of the Class of 2016.  I am excited to join such an amazing community!  One thing that really helped me with my decision of where to apply and ultimately where to attend b-school was hearing from students.  I decided to ask a few of my future classmates as well as some current Anderson students to answer the question, “Why Anderson?”  I will be posting their responses over the coming days and weeks.  Here is one response I received from a member of the Class of 2014.  Hopefully her thoughts, as well the thoughts of the other students, will help any applicants thinking about applying or attending Anderson.

"I had a great career in New York, and I wasn't sure I needed to go to business school, and if I did, I thought I wanted to go to one of the top five schools. When, I was introduced to Anderson, however, my perspective changed completely. The students were ambitious but supportive of each other, and were the happiest people of any business schools I had visited. From Ivy Leaguers to Iraq War veterans to former male models, the class was more diverse than I thought possible, and I knew I could learn a lot from these people. I decided to go to Anderson over other, higher ranked schools, because it simply felt right. I have never once regretted that decision. 

"Anderson has been nothing short of a transformational experience. I became incredibly involved early on in my first year, and I have most enjoyed getting to know every one of my classmates through student government, professional organizations, and fun Anderson traditions like football tailgates, C4C Charity Weekend, and Lit Club. As I graduate, I feel lucky to have made such incredible new friends, and I know it is a network of impressive people that will help me for the rest of my life." - Kate Edwards, UCLA Anderson Class of 2014

Clear Admit's Best of Blogging Nominee

I wanted to take a second to thank all of the readers of this blog.  I sincerely appreciate all your comments and support.  I was recently nominated for Clear Admit’s Best of Blogging award.  Click below to vote!

 

Why Anderson?

First off, I am absolutely thrilled to be joining UCLA Anderson’s Class of 2016!  Since officially accepting the offer, I have just gotten more excited about the program and what the future holds in store.  From a hand-written note from the Admission Director to the outstanding Career Management Center, there are so many reason that led me to deciding to attend Anderson.

Students
One of the very first things that impressed me about Anderson was the quality of the students, starting with my interviewer.  He had a very impressive background and I could feel his entrepreneurial spirit.  Our conversation was engaging.  I was excited to talk with him through the entirety of the interview.  He was also extremely helpful in answering my questions regarding his experience at Anderson.  If I was going to be classmates with individuals like him, I knew would be in a place where learn and grow because of my peers, not in spite of my peers.  Throughout the application process, as well as since be accepted, I have found that Anderson students have been some of the most, if not the most responsive, friendly, genuine, and helpful students I have talked to.  Of the students I contacted or was introduced to, 100% of them responded and took time to talk with me.  The only other school that came remotely close to that was Tuck.  All the students I spoke with at Anderson were down to earth and very friendly.  A few even offered me a place to stay while I look for housing.  I appreciated the fact that after I was accepted I was assigned a buddy by the admission office.  I was also contacted by an alumni and spoke with him about his experience at Anderson.  Another thing that really impressed me compared to some of the other programs was the amount of advice Anderson students gave me in terms of preparing for school and a career transition.  The advice has been extremely helpful and will definitely help me hit the ground running.  I am really looking forward to becoming a part of the Anderson family.

Location
One factor I didn’t think would be too important to me while I was researching programs, but has become increasingly so has been the location of the school.  For my career goals, to transition into tech, aside from perhaps the Bay Area, I couldn’t have picked a better location.  Plus, having grown up in California, I am looking forward to returning to my home state and enjoying the great weather!  No more snow 2014!!!  In relation to location, one thing I really like about Anderson is they offer academic internships.  With the relatively strong tech start-up scene in the Los Angeles area, this will give me the opportunity to further gain and develop the needed skills and experience while in school to land a job in tech post-MBA.

Career/Technology
Along the lines of location and career, another big plus for Anderson was the strength of their tech club, the High-Tech Business Association, and the amount of different offerings for students interested in tech.  With nearly a quarter of the students from Anderson going into the tech industry, the school has put a lot of resources into developing this area of their program.  With some of the other schools, I felt like I would have to put a lot of personal effort into being able to get anywhere near the experience I would at Anderson.  Another big draw to the program was that Anderson’s Career Management Center, Parker CMC, has consistently be ranked one of the top MBA career management centers.  From all my conversations with Anderson students, the strength of the Parker CMC is one thing that came up in almost every conversation.

Community
Although there are a ton of other reasons I chose Anderson, the last one I will talk about is the community.  I have kind of mentioned it throughout this post, but all of the students and fellow admits that I have spoken to have been very down to earth, friendly, and receptive.  I initially really wanted to be a small town to make sure I got the tighter-knit, community feel from the program I attended.  However, after the experience I have had thus far with Anderson, I am confident I will get the tight-knit community feel while being in one of the most vibrant cities in the world!  Needless to say, (although I have said it a few times already) I am excited for the next two years.

Making a Decision

It has been a little over a month since hearing from Tepper and Darden, and about two months since hearing from Anderson, that I was admitted to their 2016 Classes.  After all the long nights and hard work that went into GMAT prep, applications, etc., it felt great to finally be on the other end, deciding where to go to school.  I had no idea how difficult the decision would be.

So, after taking a few weeks to think thing through, and numerous conversation with current students, alumni, fellow admits, I have decided, in the words of the great Christopher Wallace, “I’m going going back back to Cali Cali,” to spend the next two years earning my MBA at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.  I am so excited to join the Anderson Class of 2016.

Like I said before, this was not an easy decision.  Tepper is a great school, but it really came down to Anderson and Darden.  From my previous post, I am sure you can tell that I had a great experience visiting and interviewing at Darden.  I loved the campus and enjoyed the time I spent with current students and professors.  But in the end, the more I researched, talked to students, and reflected on my goals, Anderson was the clear choice.  Since deciding on Anderson, I have had the chance to meet up and talk with several future classmates.  I can’t wait till the fall!

Welcome to UCLA Anderson! from UCLA Anderson on Vimeo.

Accepted!

Since interviewing at Tepper two months ago, and Darden about a month ago, I have been counting down the days till March 24th.  When I first started the whole MBA admissions process, I felt overwhelmed with the studying for the GMAT.  I always thought it would get easier.  Then came applications…  I would have gladly studied for the GMAT again.  Once those were submitted, then came the waiting.  Waiting.  All the waiting has by far been the most difficult part of the whole process.

Well, finally all the waiting has come to an end.  Monday morning, I received a call from the adcom member that interviewed me at Darden… I am in!  It was quite a rush of emotions.  I was excited and relieved.  From my previous post, I am sure you can tell how much I enjoyed my trip out to Charlottesville.  I am looking forward to possibly joining that community!

Later that day, I got an email from Tepper with a link to a video.  Assuming they wouldn’t send a rejection video to applicants, I was sure I was accepted.  I logged into my account online to double check.  I was in!  Two acceptances in one day, it was definitely nice.

After the high of the acceptances wore off a little, the reality of having to make a decision between these three amazing schools.  I am still waiting to hear from Darden regarding potential scholarships/fellowships.  Unfortunately they don’t give that information on the phone.  I have to wait till I receive the physical acceptance packet.  Unfortunately Tepper didn’t offer me anything.  So now it’s time to figure things out.  I think I will have a bit clearer of an idea in the next couple weeks.

"Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever." - Keri Russell

Darden Interview

A few weeks back I traveled to beautiful Charlottesville for my interview at Darden.  This was my first time in Virginia, and it definitely left a great impression, although the flight out there was another story.  Because of my work schedule, I was forced to take a red eye flight to and from my Darden visit/interview.  My flight left around mid-night local time.  I was already beat after a long day.  I was looking forward to getting some sleep on the plane.  However, a guy in the seat across the aisle keep getting into his bag that was sitting right on top of my suit in the overhead compartment.  I kept waking up because I was paranoid he was going to wrinkle my suit!

I finally arrived in Richmond with just enough time to pick up my rental and head to Charlottesville.  The drive from Richmond to Charlottesville was beautiful and very scenic.  It was nice to have a little over an hour in the car to again mentally go over my answer to the famous Darden interview question, “Tell me your story.”  I reviewed all the key points I wanted to emphasize.  By the time I arrived at the Darden Grounds, I was feeling pretty confident about my interview.

It was a really pretty day.  The weather was good, a little windy, but not too bad.  I had a few minutes to kill, so I walked around campus before checking in with all the other interviewees.  I was really impressed by the campus and the surroundings.

I checked in around 10:45am.  I was greeted by a kind lady named Virginia.  I got a kick out of that.  I was just in time for the financial aid session.  Afterwards I sat in the admission’s lobby chatting with some fellow prospective students.  It was humbling to be around people who had accomplished so much.  I had enough time to down a Dr. Pepper and wake myself up a little before my interview.

I interviewed with a member of the admissions committee.  She was very friendly and made the interview very conversational.  The interview was completely blind.  She ask me to tell her about myself.  She wanted me to go into my background, talk about my childhood, etc.  She said she would interject from time to time with questions.  The interview went great!  Overall, I think it was the best one yet.  Because of the format, I felt like I was able to paint a broad picture of myself.  I didn’t feel limited by specific questions or anything like that.  I left the interview feeling confident and very happy with the way things went.

After the interview, I had lunch with a few students, a professor, and other prospective students.  It was great to get to pick the brain of a professor at one of the best business schools in the country.  He provided some great school and career insight.  After lunch we went on a tour of the Darden Grounds.  Needless to say, it was beautiful.  I am very impressed by the facilities.  During the tour I ran into a student I had chatted with a few times on the phone.  She knew I was interviewing that day, so she was on the lookout for me.  We only had a couple minutes to talk, but it was nice to meet her in person and catch up.

When the tour was over, I walked around a little more and talked with a few other people that were interviewing that day.  I knew I needed to get back to the airport, but it was hard leaving when the weather was so nice.

Overall, I was very impressed by the admission team, students, and faculty at Darden.  I was also blown away by the caliber of the other individuals interviewing that day.  I knew I would be lucky to be a member of that community.  It was hard knowing that I wouldn’t hear back from Darden for another month.  That is a long time to have your fingers crossed…

In the spirit of my Darden interview, here is an awesome quote by Thomas Jefferson:

"Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you." - Thomas Jefferson

An Invite from Darden and Some Good News from Anderson!

Not long after coming off the highs of getting interview invites from Tepper and Anderson, I got another long-waited for email… an interview invite from Darden!  I was excited.  I immediately started looking for flights out to Virginia.  When I signed up for my interview, there were only five days to choose from and I could not do four of those due to work obligations.  Luckily, the one day that did work for me also happened to have the cheapest flights.

It was nice having a few weeks between when I received my interview invite and my actual interview day.  My previous interviews, the most I had between receiving the invite and interviewing was about a week.  Right after I booked my flight, I started prepping for the interview.  Darden has a get website and a ton of videos.  For anyone interviewing, I highly recommend spending a lot of time on their website.  I was also able to talk to a few students and learn more about their experience at Darden.  In addition to all that, I used mbaMission’s Darden School Guide, Clear Admit’s School Guide, and Clear Admit’s Interview Guide.  All of them were extremely useful, especially the Interview Guide, I definitely recommend it.  Getting into all of those materials, and especially talking with the current students really got me excited about Darden and my upcoming trip to Charlottesville!

One morning, a couple weeks after getting an invite from Darden, I woke up a little bit earlier than usual – around 4am.  I looked at my phone to check the time and noticed I had a new email.  It was from Anderson.  I opened it up and it said that my application status had been updated.  I clicked on the link and logged into the application portal… I had been accepted!  Man it felt great!  I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I decided to get up and go running.  The whole time I was running, I couldn’t stop smiling.  I felt so relieved to have at least one acceptance in my pocket, finally, after two years!

Later that day I got a call from a member of the admission committee at Anderson welcoming me.  I was informed I had also received a fellowship as well!  I was ecstatic!  Needless to say, I am so grateful and am looking forward to possibly being a member of the Anderson community.

Next up, Darden interview…

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill